Defender's Dakar Rally Has Started

The Dakar Rally. It’s the roughest, toughest and most brutal rally-raid on the planet. And now Defender wants in. 

Since its inaugural event in 1978, the Dakar Rally has worked hard to earn its reputation as the most gruelling off-road race in the world. Originally running from Paris to Dakar in Senegal, the off-road enduro now calls Saudi Arabia home. 

You’d think that the Dakar would be meat and potatoes for a brand like Defender. But 2026 is the first time that Defender has officially competed - and the company seems to be taking it very, very seriously with the most hardcore Defender 110 on the planet. It’s called the Defender Dakar D7X-R and its competing in the revised ‘Stock’ category - basically for vehicles lifted from the production line and with standard engines, gearboxes, drivelines, bodywork and chassis. 

The class that’s a real test of a car that you can actually drive down a high street. Admittedly Defender’s base car is the already pretty insane 4.4-litre V8 Defender OCTA, but apart from a huge fuel tank, uprated suspension and safety gear, it really is like the car you can buy. It’s a prospect that’s tempted ‘Mr. Dakar’ Stephane Peterhansel to drive the Dakar again - which probably tells you all you need to know.